The pilgrim credential and the Compostela
Where to get it, how many stamps you need a day, and which certificates you can claim in Santiago. Including the mistakes that leave people without a Compostela after walking every kilometre.
What the credential is
It is the document proving you walked the Camino: a card with spaces for the stamps of the places you pass through.
It does two jobs: claiming the Compostela in Santiago and getting into municipal albergues, where showing it is compulsory.
It is not an identity document and has no official standing beyond that. But without it there is no Compostela, however far you walked.
Where to get one
- Confraternities and Camino associations. There are branches across Europe, North America and Australia. The traditional route, and often the nicest credential.
- Cathedrals and parishes at the usual starting points: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Roncesvalles, Sarria, Tui, Ferrol, Oviedo, Porto cathedral.
- Albergues on the route, especially the first one you sleep in.
- Online, posted to your home. Useful if you want it before you fly.
It costs €2–5. Booked self-guided packages normally include one.
Practical advice: get it before you start, or on day one. Setting off without it usually works out, but it is an unnecessary worry.
How many stamps, and where
- Over the final 100 km: two stamps a day. Not one. Two, dated.
- Before that final stretch, one a day is enough.
- Stamps come from albergues, bars, churches, town halls, tourist offices and even some shops along the way.
The advice that avoids trouble: stamp twice a day from day one, even starting from a point where it is not yet required. It costs nothing and removes any argument on arrival.
The Compostela requirements
It is issued by the Cathedral Chapter in Santiago and the requirements are specific:
- Cover at least 100 km on foot or on horseback, or 200 km by bicycle, on an official Jacobean route.
- Carry a credential with two daily stamps over that final stretch.
- Finish in Santiago, arriving on foot.
- State a religious, spiritual or personal-search motivation. Anyone declaring a purely sporting or tourist motive receives a different certificate.
The route need not be continuous in time: you can split it across years. But it must be continuous geographically — you must resume exactly where you stopped. Skipping a section within the final 100 km invalidates it.
Figure checked Pilgrim Reception Office, Santiago Cathedral.
Which certificates exist
| Document | What it certifies | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| The Compostela | The route walked with religious or spiritual motivation, in Latin | 100 km on foot or 200 by bike |
| Welcome certificate | The route walked, without religious motivation | Same minimum |
| Distance certificate | Exact kilometres and starting point | Requested separately, has a fee |
| Fisterrana | The walk from Santiago to Fisterra | Issued by Fisterra council |
| Muxiana | The walk from Santiago to Muxía | Issued by Muxía council |
The Compostela is free. The distance certificate is paid for separately and is the one most people prefer to frame, because it carries the starting point and the kilometres.
The mistakes that invalidate it
- Stamping only once a day over the final 100 km. By far the most common.
- Taking a taxi or bus for any section within those 100 km, even three kilometres in the rain.
- Starting somewhere that does not reach the minimum. A Coruña falls short; Vigo is borderline.
- Undated stamps. Check the stamp carries a date or ask for one written in.
- Losing the credential. There is no way to rebuild it. Treat it like your passport.
Common questions
Where do you get the pilgrim credential?
From Camino associations and confraternities, cathedrals and parishes at the starting points, albergues along the route, or online posted to your home.
How many stamps do you need per day?
Two a day over the final 100 km. Before that stretch, one a day is enough.
How much does the credential cost?
€2–5. The Compostela itself is free.
Can you walk the Camino in sections across several years?
Yes. It need not be continuous in time, but it must be continuous geographically: resume where you stopped.
Do cyclists get the Compostela?
Yes, with 200 km instead of 100 and two stamps a day over that stretch.